Move In

Need help moving? If you need help moving to your new residence, here is a list of moving companies available in St. John's.

Important: Renter's insurance We suggest that you purchase insurance to protect your personal property from loss. Usually, tenant's property is not covered under the landlord's/owner's property insurance.

Once you decide to purchase renter's insurance, take an inventory of your belongings and their current value before seeing an insurance agent.

Read your policy carefully. Know what is and is not covered.

Note: Do not keep large amounts of cash in your residence.

I've moved in, now what? It is important to remember that you are joining the greater St.John's Community and certain aspects of your life will be different. The following are some tips on how to best survive the experience:

If you need furniture for your new accommodation, you can always buy used furniture instead of new and save money.

Keep your home presentable and at a standard that either reflects or meets that of the community. If the grass needs to be mowed or the driveway shoveled, it is best to speak to your landlord about whose' responsibility it is to do it.

Follow all parking regulations. Remember that parking anywhere on the sidewalk, lawns or near fire hydrants and crosswalks is forbidden.

Handle problems with neighbors politely and calmly.

Invest in a MUNSU locker ($20) so that you can keep some items close to campus or to dump your heavy winter coat during the day. To apply, drop in at the MUNSU office located in UC3005 or email: answers@mun.ca Or call: (709) 864 7461.

Cleaning is why most students lose some or all of their damage/security depsoit. Do the following to ensure your home is clean:

If you cook with a lot of oil cover walls with plastic wrap which you can replace when it is dirty or wash walls and floors around cleaning area. At least once per week.

Wash dishes after every meal or at least once per day.

Ask your landlord when is garbage collection day and where to put your garbage to be collected.

Showering - keep the water in the bathtub - DO NOT ALLOW WATER ON THE FLOOR. Since most houses are made from wood, water can cause a lot of damage. You will be financially responsible for this damage.

Cleaning the oven - there is a special product for cleaning ovens (Easy Off) that you must use. Follow instructions carefully.

Work with your roommates to clean your apartment regularly. See Handout. Make a schedule of weekly responsibilities for each roommate.

Garbage The city of St. John's has a schedule for weekly refuse (garbage) collection that can be checked at any time at:

Find out which grocery store is closest to your house right away, and how long it will take you to walk there and back. Consider bringing a backpack or cloth bags when you go shopping, to make it easier to carry all your groceries home (and it's better for the environment).

Stock up at the beginning of the semester on items that you will need for the whole year, such as toilet paper, dish soap, sugar, flour, rice and canned goods. This way you will always have those items around, you can budget your money right away, and if you need to take a taxi home with all of your things, you will have to do it once.

You should plan to keep your house fairly tidy at all times, so that you enjoy your living space, do not annoy your roommates, and do not have to do big clean-ups. The bathroom should be cleaned once a week and the floors should be swept and mopped at least once a week. You should also ensure that the kitchen is tidied every night before you go to bed.

It is often easier to plan at the beginning of the week what meals you will eat throughout the week, and then buy all the ingredients that you will need when you go grocery shopping. Some people like to take a day to do a lot of cooking and they freeze/refrigerate what they have made in smaller portions to re-heat later in the week.

It is always cheaper to cook for yourself that to eat out at restaurants or fast food chains. If you are not comfortable cooking, try buying a simple recipe book and follow the directions, or ask a friend or roommate to show you how - cooking is not hard!

You should familiarize yourself with what is around where you live: grocery stores, bakeries, shops, museums, malls, bars, parks, or recreation facilities. That way you can make use of them throughout the year.

You should also find out where the nearest bus stop is, and which busses will take you where. Aside from walking or biking, taking the bus is often the cheapest way to get around the city. Check out www.metrobus.com for bus routes, bus stops and bus lines.

It is very cold in the winter! You should make sure that you have a warm, water-proof pair of boots for walking, warm outdoor items such as a hat, a scarf, and mittens, and a warm winter coat. These will help you remain comfortable even in the coldest weather.

If your house or apartment has a driveway that you are responsible for, then you should buy a shovel right away. You will need this to clean out your driveway after snowstorms - and Newfoundland gets a lot of these! You will not want to have to trudge through a snowy driveway to go buy a shovel to get yourself out in the middle of winter.